Michael Broomhead

A top-ranking Derbyshire police officer who was found dead in the Peak District was 'very unhappy' at work, an inquest heard.

The body of Timothy Frohwein, 48, was discovered on the Grouse Moor area of the Goyt Valley on Saturday, November 23, 2013.

The married father-of-three, who was Chesterfield’s Chief Inspector, had been reported missing from his Buxton home six days previously.

Giving evidence at Chesterfield coroners' court today, his wife Susan Frohwein said the couple went to church on the morning of Sunday, November 17, and Mr Frohwein was 'very subdued'.

She said in the 30 years she had known him he had never been so upset and cried for 15 minutes the day he disappeared.

He later went missing from their home while Mrs Frohwein was walking their dogs.

While she was out walking the dogs she received a text message from her husband which led to the family raising the alarm.

Mrs Frohwein said her husband - who had undergone several operations on his knee - had spent 'a lot of' the weekend 'expressing dread' about a meeting at Derbyshire Constabulary's headquarters on the Monday.

She told the court: "He was very unhappy at work.

"He'd been moved from Buxton to be Chief Inspector in Chesterfield.

"Even driving to Chesterfield was really painful on his leg.

"He wanted to stay in Buxton, he requested to stay in Buxton - partly because of his leg and the pain he was in."

Paying tribute to her husband, Mrs Frohwein said: "He had a very strong character and a very strong Christian faith.

He told the court it was not possible to say exactly when Mr Frohwein died.

Toxicologist Dr Paul Smith said Mr Frohwein was found next to a half-empty bottle of whisky but tests showed there was no alcohol found in his blood or urine.

Derbyshire's senior coroner Dr Robert Hunter said he would be 'precluded from considering or returning a conclusion of suicide' in light of the cause of Mr Frohwein's death and that it would be 'irrelevant to this inquest' to discuss his state of mind.

He said: “Tim was a thoughtful man who was committed to his family. He had worked for Derbyshire Constabulary since 1993 having previously worked in the Kent and Cheshire police services. During a career break he also worked as a chief executive of an overseas charity.

“Tim worked across the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales area as well as at police headquarters in Ripley, in roads policing and most recently in Chesterfield. He was experienced in land search and he was a highly experienced hostage negotiator.

“We have lost a valued member of the police service and his friends and colleagues will mourn his passing. My sincere condolences go to Tim’s family, particularly his wife and sons.”